Screen-wire-stretching tool



, F. G. STEWART.

SCREEN WIRE STRETCHING TOOL. APPLICATION FILED Mms. 1921.

1,407,898, y Patented Feb. 28, I1922.

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t UNITED. STATE-s PATENT OFFICE-j l FRANK e, STEWART, or" WHEELING, WEST VIRGTNIA; AssreNon or ONE-HALE To JJC. WTLLInMsoN, or WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

' scREENfWiEE-sTEETcHTNG Toon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. as, V1922.

Application vled'lvarch. 3, 1921. Serial No. 449,385.

.State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Screen-lVire-Stretching Tools, of'whichthe following is a specicaton.

.This invention relates broadly to gripping devices, and morespecically to a tool designed primarily for stretching'woven wire fabric or screens. f-

The primary object of theinvention is to provide va tool whereby wire screens may be conveniently stretched across a frame, as in applying to the frame of a screen door or the frame of a window screen, and whereby the same maybe held in its stretched condition during the application of attaching brads or tacks. l

A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned by means of which the frame-overlying edge portion of the screen is held closely adjacent to the frame to which it is to be attached so that the work of attaching the same is facilitated.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationof the invention, illustrating the use thereof;

5 Figure 2 is a side elevation showing lthe parts in normal position; and- Q Figure?, is a section on line 3-3,"Fig, 1.

- Referring'y to said drawings, 1 and 2 indicate opposed spring steel handle members having integral opposed jaws 3: and 4, respectively, formed on' the front vends thereof. Lateral downturnedA 1lugs 5 formed on the memberl slightly rearward of the jaw 3 are attached to similarly located upturnedlugs 6 formed on the member'2 by means of a pivot pin 7.

The handle 2 is slotted longitudinally and has one or both of the slot-defining edges thereof upturned to form a flange or flanges 8. Provided in such flange or flanges is one or more holes 19 for the reception of a pivo't pin 9 upon which is mounted a lever 10. Said lever extends upward and through a longitudinally-extending slot 11 provided therefor in the handle 1, the portion of said lever above said handle 1 constituting a handle whereby the lever may be operated. The

lower end of said lever projects downward' belowthe handle 2 and is designed to be disposed with its front edge or face in bearing engagement with the outer edge of the side of a screen frame, as will hereinafter be described.

The lower handle member 2 and the jaw 4 .thereof occupy the same horizontal plane throughout the length thereof, except that said jaw has its extreme front end curved upward slightly to present a gripping edge 4a which is elevated but very little above said plane, said handle and aw. being thus designed to allow the tool to seat flat upon the face'of a side of a screen frame, as 12, Fig. 1.

The upper handle member 1 is provided with reversely disposed bends 13 and 14 located to form therebetween a relatively short upwardly and rearwardly inclined portionla rearward of and closely adjacent to the pivot lugs 5. That portion 1b of said member located rearward of the bend 14 is straight and, Vin the normal position thereof, is downwardly and rearwardly inclined, as Vshown in Fig. 2.

The lever 10 carries in one of. a plurality ofrelatively spaced holes 15 provided thereoccupy-their normal position, the lever is forwardly inclined with-the pin'ld received directly under the bend 14 of said ymember 1, as shownfin F ig.` 2. s

{In practice, the wire screen having been tirst'rigidly attached along one edge to a side of the frame by which it is yto be carried, the tool herein described is mounted flatwise on the opposite/side 12 of said frame and with the lower end portion of its lever 10 disposed outward with respectt'o the outer edge 'of said side. Then, having inserted the free edge of the screen, as 17, Fig. 1, between the opposed jaws 3 and 4, the upper end of the lever 10 is drawn rearward, and, the said outer edge of the side 12 of the screen frame serving as a fulcrum for said lever, the jaw 3 is caused to close upon screen by reason of the force applied through the pin 16 to the under side of the inclined portion 1 of the upper resilient handle member 1 as said lever is moved rearward. Continued rearward movement of said lever acts to slide the body of the tool rearward upon the `said frame and, consequently, to eiect stretching of the screen whose edge is gripped between the jaws 3 and 1l. 1

As is obvious, dueto the particu-lar normal inclination of the portion l1u .of the resilient handle member l, which requires that said portion be placed under gradually increasing ltension as the lever is swung back, the grlpping force exerted by .the jaws increases as the stretching tension imposed upon the screen is increased.- v

Owing to the very slight elevation of the gripping edge et of the lower jaw, the gripped edge of the screen is held within convenient nailing distance of the frame to which it is to be attached. Consequently, when the screen has been suiiiciently stretched, as aforesaid, the workman may readily retain Ait in position,fholdin g the tool with one hand while the other hand is used forta'clring the screen to the frame.

The outer end of the handle 1 is prefer ably upturned to form .a guard or rest 20 against which the hand of the user may seat while the lever l0 is being drawn back.

Washers 18 may be interposed between the lever lO and the ianges 8,:as shown.

l. A tool of the character described comprising pivoted handles having opposed vintegral jaws, a ylever pivoted -upon the 'lower handle and having its lower end Vextending downward below the latter, a member \car ried by said lever in underlying sliding relation to the upper handle and adapted to exert upwardly directed 'force forelevating said upper handle assaid lever isldrawn rearward,said member being suitably spaced from Vthe pivotal mounting of'said lever.

2. A tool of ythe character described lcomprising upper and lower :pivoted members,

earch member consistingof a handle and v.an

integral jaw, the lower member havingasubstantially'iiat under surface,ia lever pivoted upon the lower handle and having its'lower end projecting downward below 'the latter, said lever l normally occupying kan upwardly and yforwardly inclined position, and means carried by said lever .at a spaced distance from Athe `pivotal mounting of -the vlatter whereby the, handle of the uppermemberis elevated for `closing `said jaws as said lever is "swung rearward, said means vbeing disposed in underlying sliding relation to `said upper member. Y

3. A tool for stretching wire screens, comprising opposed pivoted members, each member having a handle and a jaw, the lower member being substantially flat for seating upon a screen frame and having the gripping face of 'its jaw elevated but slightly Aabove the seating plane, a lever pivoted upon the handle ofthe lower member with its lower yend projecting below the latter for engagement with the outeredge of the screen iframe and with its upper *,end projecting past the upper handle, said lever normally loccupying an upwardly and forwardly inclined posi.- tion, and a laterally extending supporteurried by said lever in `underlying sliding frelation to said upper handle and vadapted .to exert constantlyinclfeasng elevating `force onsaid upper handle throughsaid support as said lever is swung back, said :support handle of the lower member with its lower.

end yprojecting Ebelow the latter for ,engagement with theouter edge of the screen zfzlame and` with its upper -end projecting 4past the,

upper z-handle, said `lever normally `occupying an upwardly :and Iforwardly inclined position, and -alaterally extending support .ear-l ried by said leverinunderlying Isliding `relation rto said upper handle, -fsaid support being spaced away fromthe pivotal mounting of said 'lever and adapted to exerteonstantly increasfaing elevating fforce fon said upper handle las said lever is :swung rbiltk, said upper handlezhaving-the portion thereof underrdden `by `said support normally inclined downward and rearward Wthfrespect tovthe plane ofthe lower handle.

Intestimony whereof, I aflix ilnysigllii-iallil;

in presence ottwoesubscribing witnessesf Y vWitnesses:

Gril SMITH, H. E. DUNLAP.

i FRANKVG. STEWART! L 

